I think photo spheres are pretty awesome, and they just got a big quality overhaul in Android 4.3, to boot. So when Google announces a new way to share this immersive images, that's always a good thing, and today, that's what happened. Views is a new community built into the new Google Maps for desktop web client, and it allows you to upload and view photo spheres inside Maps. You sign in with your Google+ profile, and from there, you can add photo spheres that have been synced to your Google+ Photos, or directly from your Android device by selecting "Maps" from the share dialog in the gallery.

Be aware - Views is a public community. Anything you upload will in theory be visible, the idea is to share photo spheres with the world at large and create a sort of UGC street view community. Those photo spheres will also be linked to your Google+ profile.

This is a pretty cool feature, though, and it's great to see Google working on new ways to share the photo sphere experience. Read more about Views on the official Google Maps Blog.

EDIT: Apparently it doesn't work on my device. I guess I'm the 0.01%.
Or it could be because I'm running an AOSP ROM which already has a stock Android camera and gallery and therefore can't install over those apps.

Scott Breitbach

I think that's the 4.2 photosphere app, not the 4.3.

Rami

No, it's the 4.3 one, it has the new Arc options menu, and I compared it to the version number with the camera app from the 4.3 Nexus Factory images, they are the same.

I predict that they will - but after a major overhaul that brings it in line with point and shoot cameras.

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Too bad I don't have a G+ profile.

Ermal Turkeshi

That's your problem

Akhil

Get it on facebook for me to show this off man! No one uses Google+.

Oscar S

Why don't y'all just BUY a Nexus if you want Photospheres so badly? They're not even that good , just a gimmick. Pretty soon Nexus phones will be close to useless if Google keeps releasing all Stock apps , that pisses me off.

Patrick Fitzpatrick

Your Photospheres need to be 360-degrees, If they do not go full circle, the Maps option is not available under share options on android phone. On web you can upload non-360 photospheres but they will not be tagged in the map.

Bob

Is there any way to display PhotoSphere images on a web page WITHOUT joining Google+?